There are many urban myths and legends of folklore that have endured since the dawn of time. For example, the Loch Ness Monster has rarely been spotted, but its legacy endures. One of the most famous of these myths is that of the Yeti. The tale of the Yeti reaches far back and was told by the Sherpa of the Himalayas. They spoke of a giant biped that stalked the cold, lonely peaks of the mountains.
Indeed, even the famed explorer Edmund Hillary swore blind to seeing huge footprints as he scaled Mount Everest during his legendary expedition. In fact, the Yeti is a creature with so much substance in myth that it warrants investigation. And it seems, over the years, that many people have collected an array of different samples pertaining to this strange and elusive being, and the published results are something of a surprise.
Secret identity
The identity of the Yeti has long been a cause for debate. And its habitat, thought to be across the mountain peaks of Asia, has made it very difficult to trace anything definitive. Testing and full investigation have proven problematic. However, this hasn’t stopped people across the years from claiming they have found yeti remains or bones. Some are even thought to be sacred objects in Buddhist temples. But, until recently, it was very difficult to actually get a read on what the creature might have been.
Possibilities
There have been a lot of different theories over the years about what the Yeti actually is. Many have come up with theories ranging from the unlikely to the ridiculous. There have been previous genetic tests done which seemed to imply that the bones came from an ancient polar bear. Hillary’s companion, Tenzing Norgay, suggested it could have been some sort of unrecognized species of ape. However, now a new team has run copious tests on nine newer samples, taken from the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau and come up with some new possibilities.
Findings
Of the nine samples analyzed, it was proven they were not from a Yeti. One was shown to have been from a canine, whereas the other eight all belonged to one of the three different types of bear living in the mountain regions. These are the Asian black bear, the Tibetan brown bear, and the Himalayan brown bear. These three species are still known to live and roam wild among the plateaus and mountain passes. So, the mystery of the Yeti appears to actually have been frightened people seeing one of these bears across a snowy landscape.
So there we have it, the legend is solved. Well, kind of. To be honest, it was always going to be something like this, and it seems like a bear is the most logical choice. These studies reveal that what people think they have seen and experienced is not always the case. It also shows how a lot of superstitions begin and their legend is fueled. The findings have also helped us to learn more about the bears in question as well.
